The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-10-18
Race Prejudice in Bleeding Kansas.

The Springfield Republican hits the nail
on the head when it remarks: ''It would
seem that we of the north need to be little
more charitable and little more tolerant of
prejudices abroad which exist at home.
These prejudices may not be defensible, but
they are not bounded by sectional lines, and
are no more defensible at the north than at
the south" Now, this is very sensible
way of looking at the matter, and if com
| ment and discussion could proceed along
this line, the John Shermans, the Forakers
and the IIalsteads would have to take back
seats; but we may be very sure that such
| conservative voices as that Of the Republi-
| can will be drowned out by the roar of the
Bully Bottoms Of the republican party.
The Springfield Republican, in the quota
tion which We have made, is abiding to
some demonstrations that have recently
been made in Kansas-bloeding Kansas
the state supposed to have been redeemed
by the murders and assassinations concocted
and carried ont by John Brown and his fol-
lowers. Taking everything into considera-
ton, it is a very curious demonstration, too,
for it was to Kansas that thousands of de-
luded negroes from the southwest were in
vited during the "eXodus' that occurred
| few years ago. Moreover, Kansas is the
site Of numerous New England colonization
societies, who were sent to that state to pre-
vent the spread Of slavery and to promote
/ the doctrines Of equal rights, social equality
/ and the like.
But The descendants of New England
who now hold Kansas appear to have
I =. l..
Brown. The idea of the brotherhood of
man is big thing outside of Kansas, but
the citizens of that state are not now in the
notion OF giving it a very cordial recogni-
| ton. In fact they are opposed to it, just as
the republicans of Ohio are, and when the
matter is brought home to them, they make
no bones Of showing how they really stand.
There has recently been contest in Fort
Scott, Kansas, over the question of the CO.
! education of the races, and the negro has
! been worsted-has been Worsted in the era
die of emancipation, in the home of his
| friends. Curiously enough, the contest
| originated in the discussion of the Glenn
bill by the Kansas newspapers. These
newspapers denounced the bill as an out
rage on humanity, blot on the civilization
of Georgia, and all that sort of thing. Such
n bill, they said, could never be introduced
in Kansas legislature, for the reason that
the people of that state were too humane,
too refined, too far advanced in civilization
to oppose the education of the negro side by
side with their own children.
This discussion attracted the attention of
the negroes, and they ut once proceeded to
put the higher civilization of Kansas to the
test. 1t was a practical test and severe
| one. 1t was such severe test, indeed that
| the descendants of the New England colo
nizaton societies couldn't stomach it, and
there has been rs significant protest in
Kansas MS there was in the abolition settle
ments and ceuters of Ohio. The difficulty
was, the negroes took it for granted that
the newspapers Of Kansas, in their protests
against the Glenn bill, represented the pub
lie sentiment OF the state. But they will
never make the mistake again.
The experiment, as we have said, was
tried at Fort Scott. Some days ago, in ac-
cordance with preconcerted arrangement
fifty negro children marched into one of the
white schools and "nsisted on being in
structcd''-Wc quote from the Springfield
republication a plane Of equality with
the Whites.N There was CONSERVATION in
the school. The white teachers and pupils
left the building in such haste that their
retreat amounted to q regular stampede
The negro children put in an appearance
next day, but this time they were quietly ig-
nored. The few white children that were
present remained in the corners of the
schoolroom to receive instruction, and the
negroes got no instruction at all.
The negro children were finally driven
from the schools. The negroes then Sc
lected little girl so nearly white that her
color deceived the school authorities, and
entered her in one of the white schools.
She remained until the principal was in
formed of her race, and then she was put
out. The next move of the negroes was to
apply to the courts for a mandamus to re-
ceive the girl into the white schools. 1t
was admitted in the court that the girl was
quiet, well behaved and studious, but she
was negro, and that settled the matter.
"'Ihe board Of eduoation," il was set forth,
"has provided separate schools for colored
children with suitable accommodations,
competent teachers and equal facilities for
obtaining an education with the white
children Of the city," and on this plea the
| judge refused the mandamus and ordered
! the girl removed to the colored schools.
As the Springfield Republican intimates,
! il would be better for the northern newspa-
pcrs to correct the prejudiees of their own
people before they make any very ferocious
comments-an the preiudices of the southern
people. We commend all these things to
the serious attention of Editor Murat Hal
stead.
Trance and the Panama Canal
/ Despite the gloomy predictions made from
/ time to time work ON the Panama canal